Biography
Family Background and Early Years
Pei Xingjian came from the central branch of the Hedong Pei clan, one of its recognized major lines. His great-grandfather Pei Bofeng served Northern Zhou as General of Agile Cavalry and Inspector of Fenzhou and held the title Duke of Langya Commandery. His grandfather Pei Dinggao served Northern Zhou as Administrator of Fengyi Commandery and inherited the title Duke of Langya. His father Pei Renji rose under the Sui to Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. His elder brother Pei Xingyan was a formidable warrior at the end of the Sui. During the late-Sui disorders, Pei Renji and Pei Xingyan first joined Li Mi's Wagang army and later submitted to Wang Shichong; both were killed after a plot to defect to Tang was exposed. Under Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Pei Renji was posthumously made Commander of Yuanzhou and given the posthumous name Zhong. Pei Xingjian was born after his father's death.
As a youth, Pei entered the Hongwen Academy on the strength of his family's service. During the middle of the Zhenguan era under Emperor Taizong, he passed the Mingjing examination and was appointed an administrative officer of the Left Garrison Guard. The celebrated general Su Dingfang, then serving in the guard, told him that his military methods had found no suitable disciple until Pei, and transmitted his military knowledge to him. This relationship profoundly shaped Pei's later career as a commander. Pei later became magistrate of Chang'an County and demonstrated administrative ability in local government.
Demotion over the Empress Question and Service in the Western Regions
In 655, the sixth year of the Yonghui era, Emperor Gaozong intended to depose Empress Wang and elevate Consort Wu, later Wu Zetian, as empress. Pei believed the decision would bring grave danger to the state and secretly discussed opposition with the senior regents Zhangsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang. Yuan Gongyu, head of the Court of Judicial Review, disclosed the discussions to Consort Wu's mother, Lady Yang. Pei was consequently demoted to chief secretary of the Xizhou Area Command. Xizhou, in the Turpan region of modern Xinjiang, was a major Tang frontier center. His years there gave him substantial experience in frontier administration and relations with non-Han peoples.
In 665, the second year of the Linde era, Pei was promoted to Protector-General of Anxi. The Protectorate of Anxi governed a broad area of the Western Regions from its seat at Kucha. Pei's administration was described as lenient, and the states of the region were said to have admired Tang rule and submitted. His experience in the west gave him detailed knowledge of the Turks and other peoples of the region and later became an important basis for his campaigns.
Administration of Official Selection
Pei was later recalled to the central government as Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and then became Vice Minister of Personnel. The Ministry of Personnel administered appointments throughout the empire. Pei worked with Li Jingxuan and Ma Zai in official selection for more than ten years, and their competence won them the paired reputations “Pei and Li” and “Pei and Ma.” As long peace produced increasing numbers of qualified candidates, the selection process became extremely complex. Pei devised procedures such as the long-name roster and appointment notation to regularize appointments. He also established standards for promotion and demotion of prefectural and county officials and for weighing seniority. These procedures were adopted by later administrations and became an important part of Tang official-selection practice.
Pei was also known for recognizing talent. On meeting the literary figures Luo Binwang, Lu Zhaolin, Wang Bo, and Yang Jiong, he judged that Yang Jiong, despite his literary fame, would rise no higher than local magistracy, while the others were brilliant but insubstantial and unlikely to end well. The source states that events later appeared to confirm his judgment. He also met Su Weidao and Wang Ju and predicted that within a little more than a decade they would reach high ministerial rank. Both later became chief ministers, and contemporaries praised Pei's discernment.
Later Campaigns and Death
In 676, the third year of the Shangyuan era, Tibet invaded Tang territory. Pei left the capital to command the Left Second Army of the Taozhou Circuit and was later transferred to command the Right Army of the Qinzhou Circuit under the overall authority of Prince Zhou, Li Xian, later Emperor Zhongzong, participating in frontier defense against Tibet.
In 679, the first year of the Tiaolu era, Ashina Duzhi, khan of the Western Turkic Ten Tribes, and Li Zhefu incited subordinate groups to disturb Anxi and allied with Tibet. The court prepared a punitive expedition, but Pei proposed using the mission to escort the Persian prince Ninienshi home as cover for a stratagem, avoiding the cost of a major campaign. Emperor Gaozong accepted the proposal and appointed Pei both escort for the Persian prince and Pacification Commissioner to the Arabs. Passing through Xizhou, Pei summoned more than a thousand local notables under the pretext of hunting, then spread word that the summer heat was too severe for an advance and that operations would wait until autumn, causing Ashina Duzhi to relax his guard. Pei then advanced rapidly, captured Ashina Duzhi by stratagem, and compelled Li Zhefu to surrender. The rebellion was suppressed without a pitched battle. Gaozong personally held a banquet in Pei's honor, praised him as “complete in both civil and military ability,” and appointed him Minister of Rites and acting General of the Right Guard.
In the same year, the Eastern Turkic groups led by Ashide Wenfu and Ashina Fengzhi rebelled and raised Ashina Nishufu as khan. Twenty-four prefectures under the Chanyu Protectorate joined the revolt, and the rebel force numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Pei was appointed Grand Commander of the Dingxiang Circuit and led more than 300,000 troops. He first devised a plan using decoy grain carts to destroy Turkic raiders. He also ordered his camp moved to high ground after predicting a storm; that night torrential rain flooded the original campsite to a depth of more than one zhang. The Turkic army then suffered repeated defeats around Black Mountain. Ashina Nishufu was killed by his own men and his head was presented to Tang forces, Ashina Fengzhi was captured, and the remnants fled toward Wolf Mountain.
In 680, the second year of the Yonglong era, Ashina Funian proclaimed himself khan and joined Ashide Wenfu. Pei again commanded the Tang forces, stationed at Xingkou in Daizhou, and used a strategy of sowing mutual suspicion between Funian and Wenfu. Fearing for himself, Funian secretly offered to surrender and proposed binding Wenfu and bringing him in. Pei kept the negotiation secret and reported privately to the court. Within days Funian arrived with Wenfu under guard, and the remaining Eastern Turkic resistance was pacified. However, Chief Minister Pei Yan, jealous of Pei Xingjian's achievement, told Gaozong that Funian had surrendered only because he was pressed by Cheng Wuting, Zhang Qianxu, and the Uyghurs. Gaozong accepted this view and ordered Funian and Wenfu executed. Pei Xingjian received no record of the full achievement and was merely enfeoffed as Duke of Wenxi County. He lamented the killing of surrendered enemies and compared the jealousy shown toward him to the Western Jin dispute between Wang Hun and Wang Jun over the conquest of Wu. He feared that killing men who surrendered would prevent others from doing so, and thereafter withdrew from public activity on the pretext of illness.
In 682, the first year of the Yongchun era, Chebo of the Ten-Tribes Turks rebelled. Pei was appointed Grand Commander of the Jinya Circuit to lead the campaign. Before he could depart, however, he died on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth lunar month at his home in Yanshou Ward, Chang'an, at the age of sixty-four. Emperor Gaozong posthumously appointed him Commander of Youzhou and gave him the posthumous name Xian. The emperor also ordered the crown prince to select a sixth-rank capital official to manage Pei's household until his descendants were capable of doing so themselves. Pei was buried in October at Dongliang Plain in Wenxi County.